The Last HeartBeat

Chapter 32 Salvation in Pain

What's the matter what's going on?" Evan asked rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he'd heard things being knocked down, quiet cursing and saw lights turning on and back off again, it was late at night and the rest of the apartment was asleep from what he knew.
Evan went to check the source of all the noise seeing Logan was in the living room, his blonde hair was tussled he had on a wrinkled t-shirt and was trying to yank some joggers on him going from foot to foot trying to force his leg in, he looked like he'd just got out of bed too, but still seemed very focused and was making small grunts with his movements.

"What's wrong?" Evan asked again looking at, Logan did a double take finally noticing him, "I got a call, I got to go" Logan told him quickly, "is everything okay?" Evan asked frowning, while Logan finally got his pants up and ran to his room briefly to grab his keys before coming back, "Nah bro, I have to leave like now" Logan told him still running around frantically trying to make sure he'd gotten everything, "You want me to ride with you?" Evan asked, Logan stopped looking at him a bit surprised, he appreciated the gesture though, knowing he'd be a wreck going alone.

"Yeah bro, get your shoes on" Logan said, Evan raced to his room throwing on his shoes and a hoodie before coming back out, "Should we tell your parents?" Evan whispered, "Nah, let em' sleep" Logan said, his parents were still fairly active, but he knew this kind of having to jump and go stuff would probably stress them more then they had been all that week.

Evan had to practically run to keep up with Logan, they went through the somewhat dark, quiet apartment which seemed a lot more eerie at night then it did in the day, they took the elevator and went straight to Logan's car, Logan hopping in the front seat and Evan in the passenger seat, he barely had a chance to put on his seat belt when Logan started driving faster then Evan had ever seen him do, he raced down the dark seats only lit with store lights and other car lights.

"So what's happening bro?" Evan asked, they were already on their way to wherever, so he figured Logan would be a little more inclined to answer some questions now that he wasn't distracted trying to get ready. "I got a call from Anthony," Logan said licking his lips nervously, while he turned a corner, "He said, him, Chance and Jake were at the store earlier and Jake started coughing...and spitting up and-" Logan said his speech starting to get a little stuttered and rambled, it came as a shock to Logan as well, he had been sleeping peacefully in bed just moments ago before he got that terrifying after hours call...Logan didn't like Jake staying back at his own house in the first place because of his reckless friends, and him constantly trying to work himself so much, but despite Logan proclaiming himself a "mother hen" Jake was almost an adult, and he couldn't make him do anything or stay anywhere he didn't want to.

"Is he okay?" Evan asked concerned, seeing the look on Logan's face, "I don't know...He was just vomiting they said he seemed like he was in a lot of pain, they had to call an ambulance and everything" Logan said with a burdened sigh, "He'll probably be up and alright by the time we get there" Evan said trying to calm him down, he would hate to go through what Logan was, he knew he must feel so anxious and stressed out all the time worrying about his little brother health, maybe he even felt like he was obligated to be there and guilty anytime something happened to Jake and he wasn't there to protect him.

"I don't know man...I just hate these late night calls, it just freaks me the heck out, like I don't wanna see Jake, not like this...I should have been there with him" Logan said grimacing, "I know this is hard Logan, and you want to be there for him, but you shouldn't feel guilty about this...it's not your fault" Evan told him, Logan shot him a look, making Evan swallow nervously, "I should have called him, I should have made sure he didn't go out tonight, how can you say it's not my fault?" Logan asked somewhat aggressively as he pulled into the hospital parking lot, "Since when was it your job to protect Jake from everything?" Evan questioned him, Logan turned to look at him, his stare was intense and almost made Evan want look away, "I took that role on when Jake was born, I'm his big brother" Logan told him, before getting out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

Chance and Anthony were in a waiting room, some of the less important hospital lights were off, like in the gift shops, the place was basically quiet too besides the footsteps from the nurses still walking around the floors, the hums and whistles from various machines hooked to patients. Chance was pacing the floor while Anthony sat there with his hands in his pockets his head down, the night took a radical twist from the laughs and smiles to sitting in the hospital, they'd tried to ask if Jake was okay and ask about seeing him since getting in there, but they wouldn't tell them anything because of them not being family.

"I wish they'd just tell us something, is he awake? Is he okay? Like what happened to him?" Chance said stopping his pacing briefly to complain to Anthony, "It's nothing we can do about it" Anthony said with a shrug, he was worried too, his legs still felt jelly like, and his stomach was flopping, but he knew all they could do was wait for Logan, he'd been sure to call him so someone could check on him after the doctors took Jake into the emergency room and they, hours later found out they wouldn't be allowed in with him at all.

"We're his friends, we just want to make sure he's okay too" Chance said, "I know that, but they can't just give out his information to everyone, they don't know us" Anthony tried to explain to him, Chance sighed in frustration scratching his fingers through his hair, "Did Logan say he was coming?" Chance asked, "Of course" Anthony said, Chance began pacing again, while Anthony took out his phone just rubbing his thumb across the screen scrolling through the apps, trying to distract himself for everything.

A loud ding suddenly chimed grabbing Chance and Anthony's attention they looked towards the elevator which was opening up now, finally revealing Logan and Evan, Anthony stood up while Chance quickly walked up to him. "Your here!" Chance said, "Where's Jake?" Logan asked looking around frantically, "They took him to the emergency room" Anthony told him, "Can I see him?"  Logan asked, "I don't know yet, the doctors won't tell us anything about him" He said, Logan walked past them going further to the actual emergency room right by the waiting room.

"What happened guys?" Evan asked still looking weary from the whole situation, "We were at Target goofing off...We put Jake in the cart, we were running around, I let go of the handle, he fell, and just started throwing up and shaking, he was bleeding and couldn't talk..." Anthony explained with a heavy heart, Evan shook his head looking down, "I thought he was okay, last I heard he got his lungs drained and was suppose to be getting better" Evan said, "This isn't fair" Chance said sadly, desperately wanting his happy and healthy best friend back, "I'm sorry guys" Evan said, "Thanks bro, but it is what it is...I hope Jake's gonna be okay, he use to be really healthy and fit before all this, maybe it'll help him now" Anthony said trying to stay a little optimistic about everything.

Logan had to talk to several nurses as he made his way to Jake's room, some of them remembered him, and saw him on file as "the patients brother" and soon let him inside the place.
Logan took a breath trying to prepare himself for whatever was in there, bracing himself, he finally opened the door...

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